[010]

[grip_on_reality]

[Menzies appears on the Plane near the bathhouse. she has an overnight bag slung over her shoulder, and she looks disgruntled. also, her eyes are glowing faintly with dark blue light, and hidden beneath her hair is a rash on the back of her neck]

[she starts walking forward, slowly, with her hands outstretched in front of her. it's obvious that she can't see where she's going, although she has picked the right direction] If that worked, then the bathhouse should be... [she frowns, hesitating. she thought she'd brought herself to the Plane right in front of it, but apparently not. she mutters:] All right, if this didn't work, there'd better be something nearby. [she continues somewhat haltingly forward, but before she even reaches the building, she abruptly stops and turns her head]

Who's there?

[she's sure she just "saw" a flash of colour, so she's turned in the direction she expects to find a person. considering the situation, she hopes it's a friend]

[ooc: Menzies has inhaled the pollen! she has taken on a couple specific alien attributes, meaning that she can't see at the moment. instead, she sees the essences of people (and other living beings). if you'd like her to be able to see your character's, please indicate in your tag what color their essence is, as well as an idea of their current feelings/intentions. if there's anything you don't want to share, we'll just assume she's seeing on the wrong wavelength to sense that character or information. and let me know if you have any questions!]

Comments

[lamb_of_gold]

Menzies? What's the matter?


[Soft lavender, with a core of bright gold. Currently confused and worried. ]

[grip_on_reality]

Mu? [he would be the colour of his hair. but she can sense that worry--it's a strange sensation, and she feels an odd compunction to...understand it? help with it? she's not sure. but in any case, she starts in his direction, still moving slowly, although she's lowered her arms. while she's looking at him, the blindness means she can't make eye contact] An experiment, apparently. You seem awful worried. Has anything 'appened to anybody else?

[darkercalling]

[Riku's color is an even gray - well, maybe it's just a shade darker than lighter, but it doesn't matter all that much. As for current feelings and intentions... he's concerned about her. His only intention is to make sure she's okay.]

Hey. It's just me. [his eyes widen a bit at the sight of hers.] What's going on?

[grip_on_reality]

Riku. [she relaxes a little, though she's curious at the gray colour she sees from him. she tilts her head as she looks the energy up and down, but naturally she isn't making eye contact] An experiment. I'm not sure. Are you all right?

[darkercalling]

I'm fine. [A pause, and then a short, somewhat humorless chuckle.] I think. If something's wrong with me, I don't know it yet.

What happened to you? [He frowns, stepping a bit closer now. She can't see, can she? But then, why was she looking him over like that?]

[lamb_of_gold]

Not that I've noticed.

[There's a beat, and then...]

You cannot see.

[The confusion abates somewhat, but the worry remains. Mu reaches out and touches Menzies at her elbow, indicating where he is.]

[grip_on_reality]

[she frowns] And you're worried something is? [because she can tell he's worried about something, but she hasn't yet made the connection that she's the one he's worried about]

Bit 'ard to explain. [she smiles wryly, her eyes tracking him as he moves closer] I can't see. Except I do see a sort of...energy. But only from things that are alive. I can see you're there, but... [she reaches out a hand, trying to find where he physically is]

[grip_on_reality]

[she jumps slightly when he touches her. she knew he was there, but she wasn't expecting that]

Ah--no. But I do see...something. [she frowns] Look, there's no reason to be that worried. I can 'andle this.

[darkercalling]

[He shakes his head.] Not really. If I'm worried, it's about you.

[He steps closer again, so that her hand can meet his arm. He smirks a bit.] So you're blind, but not to... auras? Or something like that?

[lamb_of_gold]

Something?

The loss of a sense can be jarring, if you cannot compensate immediately.

[grip_on_reality]

[she scoffs] I'm not exactly injured. It'll wear off.

[when she touches his arm, she keeps her hand there for a moment, looking closely at the spot as she compares the shape of his energy to where his arm is. then she drops her hand]

Something like that. [her tone is thoughtful, distracted, as she's more focused on his essence than on their conversation] Different people are different colours, and you're sort of...radiating worry.

[grip_on_reality]

Like...energy. Purple, but gold here... [she raises a hand, holding it about level with his heart]

[she smirks] Jarring's one word for it. But I got things together when I realised it was...getting dark. And I should be able to get around on the Plane by going 'ome and deciding where I come back to. [see, she's been thinking this through]

[darkercalling]

Yeah, but it won't be easy in the meanwhile.

[He crosses his arms.Some of that radiating worry should be fading, at least a little. Of course he's still a bit concerned, but Menzies is tough. She'll get along alright.]

Yeah? Do I want to know what color I am, or is it a secret?

[grip_on_reality]

[she nods] I'll manage.

[but she snorts at that] I don't know what that'd do for me.

You're a sort of...gray. It's strange--nobody else 'as been. [she raises her own hand, holding it in front of her face--and then showing it to him, as though she expects him to see what she does] I'm sort of...dark blue.

[because she doesn't realise her eyes are glowing that colour; she can't see them]

[darkercalling]

I'm sure you will. [slight headtilt~] Want a hand getting to where you were going in the first place, though?

[No comment for the gray, not yet. He's more interested in (and amused by) the second bit.] You mean, the color your eyes are glowing right now?

[He also doesn't mince words very often.]

[grip_on_reality]

Yeah, thanks. [because she isn't so worried about pride as to refuse help when she actually needs it] I was looking for the bathhouse. I thought I'd come 'ere near it. [which she actually did; it's right over there]

What? [she stares for a second, and she puts a hand to her face as if she expects to be able to feel the change] Is anything else different?

[darkercalling]

Well, you're pretty close. [He reaches to put a hand on her arm.] Come on.

No, just the eyes. Everything else is the same.

[grip_on_reality]

That's something. [maybe her plan to get around the Plane by going home and willing herself to certain buildings will work after all]

[she nods, waiting for him to lead the way]

But they're glowing. [she chuckles] Well, thank god for sunglasses. I suppose I should be glad it's not--[she sneezes]--worse.

[darkercalling]

[He starts walking. He wants to comment something along the lines of "let's hope it doesn't get worse," but that feels like tempting fate.]

I could let you use mine. Or my blindfold. But don't tell me you're sick on top of being blind.

[grip_on_reality]

[she walks with him, trusting him to warn her when there's anything she needs to step over or around. she waves a hand] Nah, the Plane can 'andle it. I'll just use mine if I 'ave to go 'ome.

[she smiles wryly] Dunno. I was 'ere yesterday, and something must 'ave got in the air. A couple of us were sneezing from it. I've 'ad cold symptoms since then, but it's actually getting better now. Except now I 'ave this problem. [she gestures to her eyes]

[darkercalling]

You don't think they're related, do you?

[Riku really doesn't like assuming the worst, but...]

[grip_on_reality]

[she shakes her head] I doubt it. I guess anything's possible, but they aren't exactly the same thing.

[as they continue walking, she turns to look at him again. she's curious about that grayness, and she's trying to see what else she can sense, such as any hints of his personality or feelings that have made him that particular colour--not to mention what he's feeling right now]

[darkercalling]

Good point. [He snorts, hiding the slight embarrassment from jumping to conclusions with amusement instead.] I guess I've been here too long, drawing lines like that.

[If only she'd think to actually ask him - he has his own theories as to why it's gray...

Some of the aspects are things she already knows about him: that he's always wanted to help. To protect. That for whatever reason, he's limited in what he can do - stuck watching from the shadows, as it were.

But maybe she hasn't really known about his struggle for redemption - to win the forgiveness of his friends, and more importantly to forgive himself. That struggle isn't over. And with each passing day, hell, it just seems more and more like it may never be over...

It's like it was always his destiny to be stuck between the dark and the light. Right in the middle. Like it's just as metaphorical as it is literal. He'd probably even laugh, darkly amused, if anyone even brought it up that way.

He's also still learning that darkness isn't inherently evil. He knows it, but at the same time, he doesn't. Not quite yet. Some things need reinforcement every now and then. He doesn't always get that reinforcement either before everything goes to hell around him again...

... but he's become so adept at burying all of it, in order to do what needs to be done in the moment. He'll face his darkness later, or maybe along the way. Right now? He's not even thinking of himself. Sure, there's a slight twitch of uncertainty about whether or not the Plane is being more sinister than how it seems right now. Maybe there's a little leftover annoyance at things going on back in his own world, but he comes here to get away from all of that, so it's mostly been put out of mind. More than anything, right now, he just wants to support Menzies. His friend. Help if he can, or just provide support. He's also curious about her apparently being able to know what he's feeling, even if he's not fully aware of it himself, but that's a weird thing to just go asking about. So he's waiting.]

[grip_on_reality]

With this place being what it is? I can't blame you.

[one change that she hasn't sussed out yet is the curiosity and the need to understand others that has come with this ability. for a moment, she loses track of herself in the depth of those emotions. without thinking about it, she stops walking and just looks at him--as though she's seeing through him. or perhaps seeing inside him]

You're stuck in the middle. [she doesn't really mean to say it aloud, and her tone is distant; she's half-lost in her thoughts--or in his] Between light and darkness. But you're not afraid of it. How can you be so focused with all of that in your head?

[darkercalling]

[He'd already stopped when she did, but when she says all of that, it's like his blood runs cold. His eyes go wide. She's essentially just called him out on exactly who and what he is, and that's not something he's ever prepared to face, even on the best of days. He's stunned, to put it incredibly mildly.

His mind is going in about fifty different directions now, and all he can get any sort of firm grasp on is how it feels like she just cracked him open and read him like a book. Him. He knows plenty of people who can be read like that, but he's never been the type and... How did she even know...? Does this strange vision of hers really go that deep?

After a few seconds of shocked silence, all he can manage is:]

What...?